Third to samuel w



(No Model.)

R. F. REGESTBR.

LETTER BOX.

l No. 441,898. Patented Dec. 2, v1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT FRANK REGESTER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGITOR OF ONE- THIRD TO SAMUEL IV. REGESTER, OF SAME PLACE.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,898, dated December 2, 1890.

Application filed February 12, 1890- Serial No. 340,186. (No model.)

T all wwnt it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT FRANK REcEs- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at 'Baltimora in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Parcel Boxes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to 1o make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the tigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in [5 mail-boxes wherein may be deposited mailmatter of any kind, either letters or parcels of larger bulk; and it consists of such arrangement and operation of the various parts thereof that such matter for the mail may be readzo ily deposited therein, and by the particular arrangement and operation of the sealing device therein so seal the matter deposited in the box that it cannot be abstracted therefrom by any unauthorized person, the door z 5 which protects the depositing operation being arranged to open inward, whereby it will open by simple pressure thereagainst and by this inward movement of the door so control the sealing device that a suitable chamber will 3o be provided thereby for the article to be deposited and at the same time will cause the said sealing device to be in such position as to seal those articles which have been previously deposited in the box, all of which I accomplish by the device hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a vertical section through the box, the section being indicated by the 4o line at :n in Fig. 3. Fig. 2 shows a front elevation of the box, a part of the front wall removed and showing the sealing device therein. Fig. 3 shows a view looking down on the box, a part of the top removed. Fig. a shows a front elevation in full of the upper part of the box.

The same numbers refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

The numbers 6, 7, and S denote, respect- 5o ively, the side, front, and back walls of the box, which form therein a rectangular' chamber 9, into which fall the articles deposited, a drawer 10 being provided in the bottom of this chamber, the folding front 1l of whichis locked in a suitable manner to the front wall 7 of the box, and through which access is had to the chamber 9 for the removal of the articles therein deposited by the person possessing the key thereto. Y

Formed on each of the sides G and near the 6o top thereof are the bearings l2, that support the shaft 13, which is extended through this upper part of the box and is free to be rotated in the said bearings. Fixed to this shaft 13 or made integral therewith and extending near the entire width of this interior part of the box are the four leaves l-l, which are placed on this shaft at ninety degrees apart, and thereby equidistaut one from the other, as shown in Fig. l, a disk-plate l5 being placed 7o at each end of the said leaves 1I, which serve to close the ends thereof, and thereby form the four similar and separate triangular compartm ents 2l, which in the rotating movement of the leaves will be brought successively in communication with the openiugl, that is proprovid ed in the f ront wall 7 near the top thereof, and wherethrough is passed the article to be deposited, the article so deposited falling on that leaf 1I which forms the bottom of the tri- 8o angular compartment 24, that is in communication with the opening 16, and thus by the weight of the article causing the leaves la to be rotated, and when sufficient are has been traversed the said article will fall therefrom by gravity into the chamber 9, this rotating movement of the leaves 14; causing the succeeding triangular compartment 24 to be brought in communication with the opening 16, and the bottom leaf la thereof form a 9o barrier to the chamber 9 and prevent the abstraction therethrough of articles previously deposited, this rotating movement of the leaves le causing some one of them to be always in such position as to form the barrier and thus seal the chamber 9. The top 17 of the box is made of the partly-curved form shown in Fig. l, the rear 1S thereof being of a curvature whose radius is the center of the shaft 13, whereby in the rotating moveroo ment of the leaves la the edges thereof will move at an equal distance from this part of the top wall, the front 19 of the top being of the rectangular form shown in order that the door 20, which protects the opening 16, may be swung inward and permit sufficient space for the depositof parcels and other large packages.

'My object in constructing the door 2O to be swung inward is twofold. It frequently occurs that a depositorhas his arms filled 'with packages or other matter to post and he has no free hand by which to operate the door. By arranging the door 2O to Open inward, as herein shown, it is but necessary to push thereagainst and the packages from the arm may be readily dropped therethrough. By this inwardmovement of the door 20, I liliewise provide a greater security to the box by the relative functions performed by the said door and the sealing-leaves 14, as an inward movement of the door will cause it to come in contact with any one of the leaves 14 that may be in the path thereof, and thus insure such relative position of some one of the said leaves 14 with the curved guard-plate 21 that under all conditions there will be a barrier to access to the chamber 9 from this end of the box, the said guard-plate 21 being of the curved form showen and is secured to the front wall 7 of the box and extended the 'entire4 width of the space therein- It may occur that theleaves 14 have stopped at the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. In order that this position of the leaves may not interfere with the opening of ythe door 20, there is provided at each end of the said leaves a roller 22, whereby when the door 2O is opened the wedges 23, that are formed on the inner surface of the door, one at each end thereof, will be brought in contact with those rollers 22 of that leaf which is in the path of the door, and thereby cause these rollers 22 to be moved over one or the other of the inclined surfaces of the wedges 23.l Should these said rollers 22 bein such position as to be moved upward by rolling over the upper incline of the wedge 23, this upward movement thereof will be continued until the door 2O is fully opened to the position shown by the dotted lines thereof in Fig. 1, the rollers 22 traveling smoothly over the inner surface of the door and permitting an easy movement thereof, and thus bringing the leaves 14 to near the position shown by the full lines in Fig. 1. Should the said rollers be in sufficiently lower position to pass over the lower incline of the wedges 23, the said rollers and leaf 14 will be moveddownward and out of the path of the further movement of the door.

In order that only an inward movement may be permitted the door 20, a stop 25 is formed on the front wall 7 of the box, which will prevent any movement of the door outside the line of the fron-t Wall 7.

Having described my invention and the manner of operating, what I claim, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is*

1. In a mail-parcel box, the combination of a casing wherein is formed a chamber 9, the

shaft 13, extended through the said casing near the top thereof and free to be rotated therein, three or more leaves 14, extended from the said shaft, an opening 16, formed in the front wall of the said casing near the top thereof, and a door 20, hinged to the casing at the upper edge of the opening 16 therein, whereby the said door will swing inward and upward, the lower or free end thereof intersecting the path of rotation of the leaves 14, whereby one of the said leaves will be placed in such position that the parcel may be placed thereon, and whereby the said leaves will form a sealto the compartment 9, for the pur'- pose set forth.

2. The combination of a casing wherein is formed a-chamber 9, the shaft 13, extended through the said casing near the topthereof and free to be rotated therein, three or more leaves 14, extended from the said shaft, an opening 16, formed in the front wall of said casing and near the top thereof, a door`20, opening inward, which protects said opening, and the wedges 23, formed on the inner surface of said door, whereby the position of said leaves 14 is controlled, for the purpose set forth. y

3. The combination of a casingwherein is formed a chamber 9, the shaft 13, extended through the said casing near the top thereof and free to be rotated therein, three or more leaves 14, extended from said shaft, au opening 16, formed in the front wall of said casing and near the top thereof, a door 20, opening inward to protect the said opening, the wedges 23, formed on the inner surface of said door, whereby the position of said leaves 14 is controlled, and the rollers 22, placed on the edges of said leaves 14 and operated by the said door 20, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT FRANK REGESTER.

lVit-nesses:

WM. L. BAILIE, JNO. T.. MADDo'x.

IOO

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